5 Top Weekly NASDAQ Biotech Stocks: Molecular Templates on Top

The NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (INDEXNASDAQ:NBI) had nearly a one percent increase over the past trading week to 3,737.25 points as of 2:30 p.m. EST Friday (September 21).

Company news in the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors led to further highlights for investors. Starting off the week, Argenx (NASDAQ:ARGX) released positive clinical trial data from its proof-of-concept trial for its rare disease drug, efgartigimoid (ARGX-113).

The drug is in development as a treatment for primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) in adult patients.

Exelixis (NASDAQ:EXEL) also had positive news sharing its partner Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals (EPA:IPN) received Health Canada approval for a kidney cancer treatment.

Under the terms of an agreement between the two companies, Exelixis will receive US$5 million from Ipsen for the approval within the next 70 days.

Against this news, a number of other NASDAQ biotech stocks saw significant share price increases last week. The five top gainers are as follows:

• Molecular Templates (NASDAQ:MTEM)
• Galectin Therapeutic (NASDAQ:GALT)
• Chiasma (NASDAQ:CHMA)
• ZioPharm Oncology (NASDAQ:ZIOP)
• Caladrius Biosciences (NASDAQ:CLBS)

Here’s a closer look at those companies and what moved their share prices last week. Share prices are quoted in US dollars and were taken from Google Finance as of 12:30 p.m. EST on Friday.

Molecular Templates

Leading the top weekly NASDAQ biotech stocks list this week is Molecular Templates with a 38.85 percent increase, pushing the share price to $5.60.

On Wednesday (September 19) the company announced a Big Pharma deal with Takeda Pharmaceutical (TSE:4502) to develop protein-based oncology therapy. The companies will work together to develop a CD38-targeted drug as a treatment for multiple myeloma. This is the same drug candidate the companies developed in a previous discovery-phase partnership.

In addition to this drug in its pipeline, the company is working to develop other next-generation immunotoxins called Engineered Toxin Bodies to treat cancer and other serious diseases.

Galectin Therapeutics 

Galectin uses carbohydrate technology to target key proteins in developing treatments for cancer and fibrotic disease. The company’s stock price increased 29.29 percent to $6.52.

In the previous trading week Galectin announced positive preliminary results from GR-MD02 in its Phase 1b trial with Keytruda as a treatment for advanced melanoma, neck and head cancer. The results reported an objective response rate of 50 percent while the response rate of Keytruda alone is 33 percent in melanoma.

Chiasma

Middle of our weekly top NASDAQ biotech stocks list is Chiasma with a share price of $3.19 with a 21.15 percent increase.

This biopharmaceutical company is using its proprietary TPE technology to injections into oral medications. Though the company didn’t have any news released in the past week it did present at the International Congress of the Growth Hormone Research and IGF Societies, in the US on September 16. The presentation highlighted results from the ongoing MPowered Phase 3 trial testing a pill version of an injection for a hormone disorder.

ZioPharm Oncology

Similar to other companies on this list, ZioPharm is an oncology-focused company, in this case it’s directing efforts to develop next-generation immunotherapies using gene and cell-based therapies. The company hasn’t had big news in the past few weeks, however it did announce a new director was added to the board on September 4, 2018.

Nearing the end of the top NASDAQ biotech stocks list, ZioPharm’s share price increased 18.08 percent over the past trading week to $3.07.

Caladrius Bio

The last company to make it on the weekly top NASDAQ biotech stocks list is Caladrius. Similar to ZioPharm, this company didn’t have any news in the past few weeks that may have spurred this share price increase. The most recent news from the company in late-August was an announcement to present at the 20th Annual Rodman & Renshaw Global Investment Conference on September 5, 2018.

Caladrius’ stock price hit $6.40 with an overall increase of 16.70 percent.

Don’t forget to follow us at @INN_LifeScience for real-time updates!

Data for 5 Top NASDAQ Biotech Stocks articles is retrieved each Friday at 1:00 p.m. EST using Globe and Mail’s Stock Filter. Only companies with a market capitalization greater than $50 million and lower than $500 million prior to the week’s gains are included. Companies within the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors are considered.

Securities Disclosure: I, Gabrielle Lakusta, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

***This article is updated weekly. Scroll to the top for the most accurate information.***

5 Top Weekly NASDAQ Biotech Stocks: Bellerophon Lands on Top

By Gabrielle Lakusta, September 16, 2018

Over the last trading week, the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (INDEXNASDAQ:NBI) decreased slightly by 1 percent to 3,704.4 points as of 12:00 p.m. EST on Friday (September 14).

Last week was filled with exciting milestones and company news investors have showed excitement over. On Wednesday (September 12), Nemaura Medical (NASDAQ:NMRD) announced positive interim data for its continuous glucose monitor, the SugarBEAT.

This news means the company expects to finish the US study and submit applications for approval to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Q1 2019.

Other big newsincludes a collaboration between Oncolytics Biotech SOLTI (TSX:ONC,NASDAQ:ONCY) for a Phase 3 clinical trial developing Reolysin (pelareorep) for metastatic breast cancer.

Against that backdrop, a number of other NASDAQ biotech stocks saw significant share price increases last week. The five top gainers are as follows:

• Bellerophon Therapeutics (NASDAQ:BLPH)
• Osiris Therapeutics (NASDAQ:OSIR)
• Biospecifics Technologies (NASDAQ:BSTC)
• Aevi Genomic Medicine (NASDAQ:GNMX)
• Curis (NASDAQ:CRIS)

Here’s a closer look at those companies and what moved their share prices last week. Share prices are quoted in US dollars and were taken from Google Finance as of 12:00 p.m. EST on Friday.

Bellerophon

Bellerophon is first on our top weekly NASDAQ biotech stocks with a share price increase of 46.74 percent over last week’s trading period to reach $1.25.

While the company didn’t have any news last week, it did present at theRodman & Renshaw Annual Global Investment Conference on September 5, which may have carried its share price movement.

The company specializes in biotherapeutics and is developing products to treat cardiopulmonary and cardiac diseases. In its pipeline are three product candidates featuring the company’s INOpulsetechnology. One is a treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension, and the other two are for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease.

Osiris Therapeutics

Osiris is developing regenerative medicine products to improve patient healthcare outcomes and costs. The company is known for its Grafix line of products in orthopedics, sports medicine and wound care. Over the past trading week Osiris’ share price increased 35.85 percent to $11.54.

Although the company didn’t have any news in the previous week it did have a big announcement in early August that the company would re-list on theNASDAQ global market. In late August, Osiris announced apeer-reviewed publication which had positive results for its Grafix patients treating chronic diabetic foot ulcers.

Biospecifics Technologies

Middle of the pack on our weekly NASDAQ biotech stocks list is Biospecifics Tech, which is developing collagenase-based therapies. The company’s collagenase-based product Xiaflex is marketed in the US and in Europe under the name Xiapex.

Similar to other companies on the list this week, Biospecifics didn’t have any news in the past week, however it present attwo conferences on September 6 and 7. One was an investor specific conference, whereas the other was a biotech industry conference. Biospecifics share price increased 21.05 percent to $60.11.

Aevi Genomic Medicine

Aevi didn’t have any news in last week’s trading period, although it most recently presented at theH.C. Wainwright Global Investment Conference in early September. Over the five-day trading period, shares of the company increased 12.16 percent to $1.28.

The company’s focus is on working with genomic medicine to translate genetic discoveries into novel therapies, such as with AEVI-001. Aside from this trial, the company is also working on treatments for Crohn’s disease and another undisclosed rare pediatric disease.

Curis

With a 8.84 percent share price increase to $1.60, Curis lands last on our weekly top NASDAQ biotech stocks.

Like other companies on our list, the company’s most recent news was it presenting at a conference in early September. Curis presented at theBaird 2018 Global Healthcare Conference.

Curis is a biotech developing treatments for cancers, including fimepinostat, which is being investigated in clinical studies in patients with DLBCL and solid tumors. The company receives royalty income from the approved product, Erivedge, which was developed and marketed to Genentech.

Don’t forget to follow us at @INN_LifeScience for real-time updates!

Data for 5 Top NASDAQ Biotech Stocks articles is retrieved each Friday at 1:00 p.m. EST using Globe and Mail’s Stock Filter. Only companies with a market capitalization greater than $50 million and lower than $500 million prior to the week’s gains are included. Companies within the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors are considered.

Securities Disclosure: I, Gabrielle Lakusta, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.